The election gloves are off

13 January 2014, 19:42

The gloves are off. Electioneering has started. And we can only proclaim that after the ANC launches its campaign. Politicians are flocking to the streets with grocery parcels, bricks and cement and new rhetoric trying to gunner as much voter confidence as possible. Political analysts and commentators are crowding media platforms trying to interpret and forecast the election landscape as it stands.

Last time it was COPE. But now we have Agang and the “first” official left movement EFF. It goes without saying that this will be the most exciting election period yet. What will be more exciting will be the increasing rise in the involvement technology in electioneering. Social media platforms have matured and infiltrated society in a radical way more especially for the working and middle class. Innovative political parties will be wise enough to use these platforms to gunner votes.

There is a sentiment that the ruling party will dip below 60% in the polls for the first time since the new democracy. Having said that, one can never take for granted the fact that the ruling party has mastered the art of electioneering. They have more people on the ground than any other party in this country.

And they have just launched their election manifesto, where they seem to punt the term “radical” more than the EFF. “We need a radical solution to land reform” they say, three days after they passed a R1billion property deal in Mala Mala for which the property owner dictated the prince (apparently R76 000/hectare). I can see this in Trevor Noah’s next stand-up comedy script. Let me dig deeper into the land reform issue as a basis for comparing these parties. T

he ANC’s advocacy for the “just and equitable principle to land expropriation” is still confined within the parameters of the constitution, which in itself protects the rights of current property owners.

The bottom line is that there is nothing radical about the ANC policy in its current state and there never will be. Their punting of radical policy shift should receive apathy similar to that of their ANC printed red berets. The only people that can be satisfied by these actions should be the EFF commissars themselves. Who else to better market their campaign than the ruling party?

However when you compare the ANC and the DA, one popular commentator put it to light that “somehow the ANC knows how to speak to the heart of a voter. The DA just seems to speak to the mind”. Just because you have the most qualified and capable people in your cabinet do not mean the people will vote for you. The fundamental failure of the DA will be the fact that in a black majority society it is still perceived as being white, and maybe justifiably so. Their position on land favours the willing buyer and willing seller principle to land reform.

When the new expropriation bill was tabled in parliament earlier last year, their position was to protect the rights of current land owners (as in those that own more than 85% of the land as instituted by the 1913 Land act). And until recently, in a society mugged by historical racial discrimination, all of their policies speak about solutions that should not be based on race.

This is the fundamental flaw of the liberal movement. For the past 19 years the DA has failed to realise that in a post-colonial state like South Africa you can never unmarry the class issue from the race issue. That is the basis upon which the black man’s inferiority complex is manifested.

Only 19 years into democracy have they finally had a shimmer of light and appraise racial discrimination (and only in their BEE policy). And they have done so too late for my liking.

The radical left has political certainty and thought leadership. But they are going out guns blazing too soon. You don’t build a political party in 10 months and say that you will contest to win. 50 million South Africans don’t prescribe to your ideals overnight. And you must tread carefully when you lobby for socialist ideals in a capitalist state.

What you should have done is to start with the why! That is to first and foremost lobby for the logical framework upon which your policies are based. If you want to be taken seriously, you make sure that your policies are robust enough to have buy-in. Your statements must be logically sound and sustainable.

If they aren’t, then you’ll be seen just as being another COPE and if you are lucky enough voters will give you the 7% they gave to COPE in 2009.

In other news, Cope is asking for people to give them another chance, and Agang is still looking for money. Great last statement, very humorous!

Disclaimer: All articles and letters published on MyNews24 have been independently written by members of News24's community. The views of users published on News24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of News24. News24 editors also reserve the right to edit or delete any and all comments received.

24.com publishes all comments posted on articles provided that they adhere to our Comments Policy. Should you wish to report a comment for editorial review, please do so by clicking the 'Report Comment' button to the right of each comment.

I believe, in the real world, life actually follows reasonable principles. Despite the baffle and Bull, the short term push and pull, even exploitation, eventually the multitude of forces kicks you back to reality. For us that simply means, if as a country we want to grow, we have to invest. Read more...

I constantly ask myself what is the point of everything? A complex question and awfully deep but I know it is a question not unique to me. Possibly many of you have had similar thoughts. But really what is the point of it all? Read more...

“Never” is an infectious word, like a flu virus. Once you’ve caught it, everything loses its sparkle. It’s commonplace to hear people say and swear that they will never do, forget or say something. Read more...

The article by Floyd Shivhambu on the absence of Dr. Blande Nzimande in the struggle is impressive in a highly qualified sense – the narrative and argumentation flow seamlessly to prove its point. Read more...

It is very disturbing and nauseating to witness that the North-West University Mafikeng Campus has lost reputation and respect as a result of dishonourable actions by a few groups of people who fail to fulfil the responsibilities of the positions they hold in the university. Read more...

Tell us a bit about yourself:

Saving your profile

Settings

News24 allows you to edit the display of certain components based on a location.
If you wish to personalise the page based on your preferences, please select a
location for each component and click "Submit" in order for the changes to
take affect.

Your Location*

Weather*

Always remember my setting

Saving your settings

Facebook Sign-In

Hi News addict,

Join the News24 Community to be involved in breaking the news.

Log in with Facebook to comment and personalise news, weather and listings.